CIPD -

South West London

Root and Branch Review

These notes summarise the outcome of a session held with Branch Members on 30 January 2006 to take a fundamental look at how our Branch operated.

We are grateful to our Branch Committee and ICF Member, Simon Edkins who facilitated the session for us. By looking at what works well and what works not so well across five areas: communication, events, groups, professional development and networking; we were able to start developing ideas of what we could do, and categorising into high and low impact, and the easy and more difficult. The following summarises our thinking:

High Impact – Easy:

• Career Development Group to attract newly graduated people
• Have other specialist groups e.g. Learning & Development; Employee Relations; HR Directors, business briefings on other topics e.g. finance & IT
• Consider segmentation for events e.g. new starters, experienced, senior
• Benefits for all Members at different stages of careers
• Joint events with other professional bodies
• Speed networking
• Attract high level HR people to speak on ‘hot topics’
• Master classes for Fellows or aspiring Fellows
• Members question board at every meeting
• More CIPD input into events e.g. latest research
• Are we making the best use of CIPD resources in our backyard
• Incorporate an ‘entertainment’ element into meetings
• Teaching by different suppliers on key products required by HR Departments
• More skills based events, possibly with Members contributing towards cost

Low Impact – Easy:

• Meet at different times i.e. later in the evenings
• Meet on different nights (can’t do Thursdays)
• As a new Member, how can CIPD benefit me and my business
• Have an HRD Conference Highlights dinner
• More networking and social events

High Impact – Difficult:

• Who Branch Members are, their business and what they do
• Members’ Directory on-line e.g. sectors, business interests
• ‘WIN’ – Wimbledon Information network to link interests/specialisms to help networking
• Improve leverage of the ICF
• Have mentoring/networking scheme – senior Members mentoring junior HR Members
• Email correspondence to Members to help reduce print costs of newsletter
• Have a buddy programme for career advice scheme
• Consider alternative locations for meetings
• Jazz up Branches page in People Management magazine

Low Impact – Difficult:

None.

The Branch Committee at its budget planning meeting for 2006/2007 considered what actions we might immediately take or plan for in the coming Branch year to be our “manifesto” going forward.

A major decision was to operate in future without the traditional geographical split and segment events programme to reflect the areas of interest that had emerged. As a result, we are working on a draft events programme that we hope can operate from a single venue and will incorporate events arranged by the Independent Consultants Forum. We are seeking to run around 20 events, including the annual Harrogate Highlights Dinner, with a mixture of speakers addressing current professional topics, some more skills based workshops and a career development session.

In addition to seeking a more comfortable and convenient venue we are hoping to improve the over all ambience of meetings and provide more opportunity for networking. We are in a sufficiently healthy position to provide refreshments without charge at events and subsidise the Harrogate Highlights Dinner more heavily.

Over the coming year it is the Committee’s intention to work on the longer term areas that were identified in particular the use of the website and e-communication and the understanding and effectiveness of committee roles.

The Review was the first of its kind that the Branch has held and was considered a very productive session. Thanks from the committee to all those who attended.

Mary O’Shea
SW London CIPD Branch Chair
May 2006

About the SW London Branch